


Bruises

by koi_ling



Series: Nothing Is Gonna Take You from My Side [1]
Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Gen, Light Angst, best besties songkang, mentions of bullism, nothing too angst really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 13:52:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koi_ling/pseuds/koi_ling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seungyoon doesn't want Mino to get hurt.</p><p>Prompt: School</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bruises

**Author's Note:**

> For the 100-minute SongKang event. I just got an idea and had to write it. I know it's very short, but I hope it delivers.

 

 

Seungyoon finds out when Jinwoo barges in the room, all breathless, soaked in sweat and carrier of bad news.

For the other students sitting around that’s just another gossip to talk about, something that will be forgotten in no time, but for Seungyoon is a punch in the guts, just where it hurts the most.

He dashes down the stairs without checking if Jinwoo is following him, running past the packed classrooms and the prying eyes of faceless students, dodging a teacher in the hall and finally reaching the courtyard.

They’re not there, of course.

They’re sneaky, those bastards. They would never act where people – or worse, teachers – could see them.

Seungyoon finds only _him_ behind the gym and lets out a sigh when his eyes spot his silhouette. Whether it’s for relief or worry, he doesn’t even know for sure.

He’s sitting on the ground, which is already better than lying down, but the hand clutching at his stomach isn’t exactly promising. Unsurprisingly, he has just a few scratches on the face, because one of the few rules they follow is to never leave evident bruises.

He whines a little, muttering some gibberish under his breath.

“Stop being a drama queen, I know your pain tolerance is one of a cry-baby”.

Mino snaps his head toward him and just smiles faintly. “Yoon”, he says.

“So, when did you plan to tell me you’ve eventually lost your mind? When you’re six feet under? You know, I don’t plan to bring you flowers”.

Seungyoon sits right in front of him, with another sigh and another glance at his face.

It hurts. It hurts to see him like that. It hurts knowing it’s his fault. It hurts even to talk about it, so Seungyoon makes fun of him because that’s the only thing he can do to cope.

Mino scoffs at him, his lips stretch in a smile. “No way I’m the first dying, Seungyoon, I’ll be the one seeing you off, if you know what I mean”.

Seungyoon nods sharply, looks at him another time: there is the faintest bruise under his eye, already red; it will turn purple tonight. “They ran off”.

“I think Jinwoo hyung scared them, he said he was going to call the director”.

“I didn’t know I had a job already”.

Mino laughs drily at that, holding the side of his waist by instinct. He winces in pain, but doesn’t whine like he would usually do for the smallest scratch. Instead, he stares at him.

“Seungyoon, I…”

Seungyoon doesn’t want to hear it. “You shouldn’t play the hero”.

“I wasn’t. I am not”, he pouts, clutching at his shirt. It’s dirty with mud and Seungyoon can bet Mrs. Song will fuss about it – he would give him his one, if it fitted, but Mino has always been bulkier than him, since kindergarten.

“I don’t want to see you like this just because– no way you’re getting hurt for me, Song Mino”.

“You’re telling me I shouldn’t fight them when they were boasting about what they did last Saturday? I was with you for the whole walk from school to home, you know, I was there when –”

Seungyoon doesn’t want to remember his breakdown. He has always considered himself strong enough to never show his tears to anyone and, even if Mino is almost family, that was more that he could allow himself. No matter how good it felt to be welcomed in his warm embrace.

“You’re not the one who came out at the beginning of the scholastic year. Any form of association with me is… dangerous. You can’t be too friendly or supportive, or they’ll target you too”.

_I don’t want you to get hurt._

Mino looks at him like he is ready to fight him, fire in his eyes and mouth pursed in a tough line. Seungyoon leans in, sighing a third time.

His thumb finds the spot of blood that’s been annoying him from the very start and rubs it off from the side of his mouth – his skin is dry and Seungyoon licks his finger before brushing it a second time, to be sure every trace will be erased.

Mino stares at him from beneath his long eyelashes and Seungyoon wonders if it’s dirt on his skin or he’s just blushing. His thumb lingers on his cheek a little too much.

“Seungyoon, I…”

“I know, but that’s not gonna change a thing. You can’t come and save me every time they find me alone, you can’t start fights every time they flaunt about it and you can’t definitely get hurt because of me. I already have so much to go through without worrying about you, don’t you know?”, his voice gets softer toward the end.

Mino winces again, holds back the things he wants to say and just searches for his hand. He squeezes it tightly, pulling it to his cheek.

Seungyoon’s heart skips a beat. Mino leans in and sighs, closing his eyes and resting his face against his palm. “As long as you get out alive from this high school – that, you must promise”.

Seungyoon smiles at that, as a warm fuzzy feeling settles inside his chest. He can’t stay too angry at Mino, not in this lifetime. “Of course. We’re still going to Seoul when school ends”.

“You sneaky bastard – now I see through you”, Mino snaps his eyes open, “all those youthful grand plans were just an excuse to go to Itaewon”.

“Maybe”, he chuckles.

 

 

 

 

“You’re not gonna stop, aren't you?”, Seungyoon asks when they walk out of the school gates.

Mino shrugs his shoulders. “I’m just gonna be sure you’re never alone – so they won’t catch you”.


End file.
